Sentinel Hotel in Portland, OR Review

I was lucky enough to get to go on a Moms-only trip to Portland, Oregon in March. We try to get away once a year and we chose Portland because it’s just 3 hours from our homes in the Seattle-area. We all have 3-year-olds, so it’s a comfortable distance. I started researching hotels immediately. Since one of the Moms in our group was super pregnant, we wanted to find somewhere centrally located (where we could walk to stuff) but that also offered food options in case we ended up just hanging at the hotel. And cleanliness was of highest priority.

After a lot of research and group input, we decided to try Sentinel Hotel which is ideally located in the heart of Portland’s city center, not far from the Pearl District and waterfront. In 2016, it was ranked #1 Best Hotel in the PNW by Conde Nast Traveler. Although Sentinel Hotel is a luxury hotel, the alternative spirit of Portland has permeated through their walls. Their extensive list of signature amenities include a pillow menu, pet services, and locally made Salt & Straw gourmet ice cream. They even have a number of beehives on their rooftop where BeeLocal produces artisanal, local honey.

They offered a great assortment of toiletries, including make-up remover and a shower cap.

Because we were on a Moms’ getaway, I paid close attention to amenities I look for when traveling. Usually, I’m disappointed with the toiletries as they usually just offer soap, shampoo/conditioner, and lotion. I was thrilled to see they also offered body wash (that actually smelled good), make-up remover (something I ALWAYS forget) and a shower cap (which makes my world so much better.)

Welcome Menu from Sentinel in Portland, Oregon

Out of the three rooms we had, mine was the only one that had this menu card in it. Usually when I get into a hotel room, the first thing I do is look at the binder that has all the hotel info. I like to know what my options are. It’s cool how streamlined this was and really got to the point. I also feel like we should have tried out the Pillow Menu and ordered from Salt & Straw. However, we spent a lot of time out and about exploring Portland.

But, it’s definitely worth noting that we found some special items in the mini bar area. In 2/3 of the rooms, there were “Love Kits” featuring personal massagers. This was the first time I’ve seen something like that in a hotel mini bar and we thought it was hysterical!

Between the lobby and the restaurant were little seated areas hidden away.

Sentinel Hotel’s Not-So-Great Features:

Their overnight parking is $43. I found cheaper parking down the street but it wasn’t clear if I could park overnight (thankfully the valet staff were super helpful.)

They have a club downstairs which can be heard throughout the hotel (if you don’t wear earplugs.)

While the hotel itself was mostly quiet, the birds outside were not. My friend Lisa put it best, “I think someone gets up at 5:00 am every day to feed 7,000,000 birds across the street from the hotel.”

No pay-per-view movies.

The room felt a bit dark at night because there are only 2 lamps in the room.

The glasses didn’t look very clean.

Their Starbucks was supposed to serve beer, wine and savory snacks from 4pm on, but they said they were no longer doing that.

I’ve never been to Portland but I’d love to take my family there someday. I’m not sure a nightclub in the hotel would be good for a family trip but it sounds perfect for a girl’s weekend. Awesome review!

I think it’s a lovely place to spend the weekend in but it’s not really a place to hang out in. Its location is perfect especially when you want to explore around the town and easily head back when you get tired. It’s not so bad, I just don’t like the idea of the noise and the expensive parking.

It sounds like you had a great time with your mom friends! It’s always nice to get away from all the chores and responsibilities even for a couple of days. This hotel isn’t that bad, I like the rooms! It would have been perfect if there wasn’t any noise at night.

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